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First-time jobless claims dip (Wednesday, 12/31/03)
Claims for jobless benefits reached their lowest level in three years last week, the lowest since President Bush was inaugurated.

Consumer confidence down a bit in December (Wednesday, 12/31/03)
After several months of increases, consumer confidence declined a bit this month, but most economists aren't concerned about the year-end softening, according to Barbara Hagenbaugh.

NAFTA's 10th birthday (Wednesday, 12/31/03)
At the end of its first decade, the North American Free Trade Agreement continues to be controversial, particularly with an American presidential election less than a year away. Here's more from James Cox of USA Today.

Prepare for a jobs SURPLUS? (Wednesday, 12/31/03)
Will today's jobs shortage turn into a jobs surplus during the next decade? It's possible, according to many forecasters, in large part because of the large number of people who will be retiring during the years immediately ahead. Here's more from Teresa McAleavy in the Houston Chronicle.

However, if America will face a profusion of jobs, it's not likely that many of them will be the kinds that traditional blue-collar workers will find familiar. Jeff Bennett says that an increasing number of manufacturing workers will have little alternative but to learn new skills for a new work world.

Market rally helps pension funds (Wednesday, 12/31/03)
The New York Times' Mary Williams Walsh reports that improving stock prices have strengthened corporate pension funds somewhat, but a gap remains.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: The NAFTA Secretariat (Wednesday, 12/31/03)
The NAFTA Secretariat administers the dispute settlement provisions of the North American Free Trade Agreement.

Stand back! (Tuesday, 12/30/03)
Dan Ackman of Forbes is afraid that California's real estate boom may be about to go "boom!" It's looking more and more like a bubble, he thinks. Will California be leading the nation again?

Help with your retirement resolutions (Tuesday, 12/30/03)
Has 2003 left you confused about retirement? Business Week has been inquiring with professionals about how the major changes during the year should affect retirement planning.

Year of the woman? (Tuesday, 12/30/03)
USA Today's Del Jones says that the eight Fortune 500 companies with female CEOs significantly outperformed the overall market during 2003.

Overall, women and minorities made advances in some of the professions during the 1990s, according to a new Census Bureau report. Here's more from D'Vera Cohn and Sarah Cohen of the Washington Post.

Economists approve of Fed's performance during the year (Tuesday, 12/30/03)
Sixty private economists generally approve of how Alan Greenspan and the Federal Reserve handled things during 2003.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: The Real Estate Library (Tuesday, 12/30/03)
The Real Estate Library intends to offer access to a range of resources of interest to buyers, sellers, home owners, and professionals in the real estate industry.

Gone forever: the late, great days of California's Silicon Valley (Monday, 12/29/03)
As is often the case, structural economic changes seem to have occurred between the beginning and ending of America's most recent slump. There are growing indications that, despite an overall economy that seems poised for a stunning 2004 as well as a good year for tech spending, California's famous hi-tech corridor may never return to what it was during the boom period of the 1990s. One of the reasons is that "silicon valleys" are springing up in many parts of the world, and American jobs are being sent to them.

Class-action suit could have broad implications (Monday, 12/29/03)
Joseph Schmitt explains why a class-action suit brought against Wal-Mart could mean trouble for many other employers.

Extortion on the Internet (Monday, 12/29/03)
Bernhard Warner writes from London about the blackmail of office workers with computers attached to the Internet.

Student consultants (Monday, 12/29/03)
The University of Minnesota Carlson School of Management's MBA student consulting organization sends students out to solve real-world problems for real-world companies. It's a way of combining academic and field experience at a high level, and client corporations tend to be satisfied, because these aren't beginners.

The young take responsibility for themselves (Monday, 12/29/03)
More and more Americans in their 20s are beginning to make their own preparations for retirement with the assumption that Social Security won't be there to help support their old age. Here's more from Martha Irvine in Chicago.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: Emergence of Advertising in America (Monday, 12/29/03)
Consumer spending accounts for approximately two-thirds of the U.S. economy, so it has played a major role in building America into the world's principal economic engine. Advertising, in its role as a stimulator of consumer demand, has been an important factor. Emergence of Advertising in America traces the early history of American advertising from 1850 to 1920 with thousands of images and other items.

Manager pay goes into cold storage (Sunday, 12/28/03)
Approximately 43,000 AT&T managers will not get pay raises next year, as telephone companies face circumstances similar to those with which companies such as Kodak are trying to cope.

Americans are hearing new Medicare law's critics (Sunday, 12/28/03)
According to a new poll, the Bush re-election campaign may not get credit from voters next year for pushing the new law through. Americans who approve of the new legislation become less sure once they hear its critics' arguments.

Employers help acculturate foreign-born workers (Sunday, 12/28/03)
The Minneapolis Star Tribune's Gwendolyn Freed writes about the growing prominence of cross-cultural workplace education.

Encountering the "gray ceiling" (Sunday, 12/28/03)
What many women see as a "glass ceiling" in corporate America is seen by many older men AND women as gray. Here's more on what many see as obstacles to career advancement for older workers.

Non-cash bonuses (Sunday, 12/28/03)
Melinda Ligos says that year-end bonuses that aren't money are becoming increasingly popular among both employees and employers.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: Center for History and New Media (Sunday, 12/28/03)
History isn't dead. We respond to things in terms of how they look to us, and context and perspective determine how they look. Historical context is particularly important in shaping our perceptions of the present and future, and, thus, in shaping our actions. As we learn more about history, our assessment of present options is altered. Many people believe that the new media are having a profound influence on how people are teaching and studying history, so several institutions have collaborated on the Cednter for History and New Media.

Offshoring accelerates (Saturday, 12/27/03)
David Zielenziger writes from New York that many technology companies are sending more and more high-value jobs overseas, but they're trying not to attract too much attention to themselves in the process. To many employers, the lure can be irresistible, considering that they may be able to employ as many as ten highly-qualified persons in India, say, for the price of about one in the United States, particularly if their competitors are already doing it.

We've covered this story from the beginning, and helped call initial attention to it. Offshoring has the potential of changing the nature of American society, as Dr. William Rayor suggests in his latest BNWW article on the subject, and is quite likely to become a major political issue, possibly in the 2008 presidential campaign.

Unemployment holds steady in Japan (Saturday, 12/27/03)
Japan's unemployment rate was 5.2 percent in November, the same as the month before.

Grocery workers accept pay cut (Saturday, 12/27/03)
However, these are not the ones on strike in Southern California. Detroit Free Press writer Greta Guest reports that Farmer Jack workers have agreed to accept a 5-percent pay cut in order to help the Detroit grocery chain remain in business.

Talks at Continental to resume next month (Saturday, 12/27/03)
Continental Airlines and its pilots will be back at the negotiating table next month, hoping to hammer out a new contract. Here's more from Bill Hensel of the Houston Chronicle. Meanwhile, America West will hire 1,000 workers, according to Nathan Higuera of the Arizona Republic.

NAFTA's 10th birthday (Saturday, 12/27/03)
The New York Times' Tim Weiner has been examining NAFTA's record after 10 years and finds it mixed.

America now has more than a million lawyers (Saturday, 12/27/03)
During the administration of George Washington, the total American population was about three million. At any rate, Del Jones reports on the growing number of lawyers and people would like to be lawyers in the United States. Will the job market be able to absorb this growing multitude of attorneys? Probably, according to a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: LawInfo (Saturday, 12/27/03)
LawInfo wants to help you find an attorney with the right specialty in your part of the country.

Unemployment and deflation still a problem in Japan (Friday, 12/26/03)
The good news is that industrial output was strong in November due to exports. Here's more from Tokyo.

Eastern Germany's gender gap (Friday, 12/26/03)
Erik Kirschbaum reports from Liebenthal on the growing shortage of women in what was once East Germany. Women from the eastern region more easily find jobs in the prosperous western part of the country, and imbalances are resulting that could cause social turmoil over the years ahead.

Soft on crime? (Friday, 12/26/03)
Many workplace deaths are potential crimes when people die because of employer violation of safety laws. But, as David Barstow reports, charges are rarely brought.

Coping with dysfunctional people at work (Friday, 12/26/03)
Here's help in dealing with some of your least favorite people when you have to work with them. It's Toxic Co-Workers: How to Deal with Dysfunctional People on the Job, a new book psychologists Alan Cavaiola and Neil Lavender.

An unhappy cost of doing business (Friday, 12/26/03)
Employers lose billions of dollars to theft and fraud each year. Here's more from Erika Smith. Also, here are some tips for identifying employee fraud.

When success isn't enough (Friday, 12/26/03)
The Chicago Tribune's Shawn Taylor writes about the growing number of successful career women who are dropping out in search of more personally meaningful pursuits.

The bottom-line benefits of health (Friday, 12/26/03)
The Arizona Republic's Jodie Snyder reports that more and more employers are doing what they can do keep employees healthy, in part, because it is in their economic self-interest.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: History of Education - Selected Moments of the 20th Century (Friday, 12/26/03)
The University of Toronto's Daniel Schugurensky continues to compile an assortment of pieces having to do with key events in 20th century education.

The weekend dampened the holiday spirit of many retailers (Monday, 12/22/03)
Retailers across the United States had hoped that the weekend before Christmas would be big for sales, but it didn't turn out that way. Here's more from Anne D'Innocenzio in New York. However, according to USA Today's Michelle Kessler, more people have been doing their Christmas shopping online this year.

Inflation declines in Germany (Monday, 12/22/03)
Germany's annualized inflation rate in December is 1.1 percent.

China moves to protect property rights (Monday, 12/22/03)
The idea of private property, particularly involving the means of production, was not popular with Mao, but quite a lot has been going on in China in recent years that would give him indigestion if he were alive to watch. Joe McDonald reports from Beijing that the world's most populous country with the world's highest rate of economic growth is about to change its constitution in order to protect private property rights for the first time since the establishment of the "new China" in 1949.

Americans are giving Bush more credit for economic improvements (Monday, 12/22/03)
Will Lester writes about a new poll that shows increasing optimism about the economy and approval of the President's handling of it. President Bush has had a good week or two, given Saddam's capture, the deal with Libya, and an economy that's finally surging.

In fact, some Democratic strategists may be thinking about damage control next fall; i.e., finding a candidate who is willing to play a sacrificial role but who will be strong enough to prevent a Bush landslide which could pull several additional Senate and House seats over into the Republican column. In the judgment of many influential Democrats, that's probably not Dean, whom the Republicans most want to run against. On the other hand, Democrats will want a candidate who is strong enough to win, in case the jobs picture doesn't improve and conditions disintegrate in the Middle East, all of which could still happen before Election Day. The important thing is to be in position when the unexpected happens.

On the other hand, if you've been thinking more about the next several decades than the next several months, you might be interested in the new report from the Congressional Budget Office. Achieving and maintaining a balanced budget over the next half-century will be difficult and politically painful, according to the CBO analysis.

Religion and economics (Monday, 12/22/03)
Arguments about the impact of religion on economic activity have been going on for a long time. Recently, considerable attention has shifted to whether Islam inhibits a country's economic growth. It doesn't, according to economist Marcus Noland's new research.

Lending discrimination (Monday, 12/22/03)
A new study conducted by the National Community Reinvestment Coalition finds that creditworthiness is not the only thing that determines the cost of mortgages. On average, African Americans and the elderly pay higher rates.

More surveillance (Monday, 12/22/03)
You may be getting used to the boss looking over your shoulder or watching what you do on the Internet, but are you required to carry a cell phone with GPS? Stacy Teicher tells about snowplow drivers who are, and many of them don't like it.

Wage insurance for victims of "offshoring?" (Monday, 12/22/03)
Former Labor Secretary Robert Reich says that the costs of rapid technological change could be distributed over a greater share of the population, rather than pushing those whose jobs disappear out of the middle class, if the U.S. were to set up a system of wage insurance. Meanwhile, Steve Lohr says there are signs of a political reaction to the increasingly common practice of sending high-value jobs overseas where people are willing to work for as little as one-tenth as much as similarly-qualified Americans.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: Arabs in the U.S. (Monday, 12/22/03)
Here's a new report from the U.S. Census Bureau which examines the Arab population in the United States.

Grocery talks break down (Sunday, 12/21/03)
A grocery workers strike that has affected 800 grocery stores in Southern California for ten weeks is likely to go on at least a bit longer. Alex Veiga reports from Los Angeles that talks resumed for a day, then broke off.

Inflation is WAAAAY down in South Africa (Sunday, 12/21/03)
Inflation in South Africa hits its lowest level since 1959 in November. Here's more from Johannesburg.

The reasons for Libya's decision (Sunday, 12/21/03)
Why has Libya given up its efforts to build weapons of mass destruction? Some suggest that it was because Muammar Gaddafi's didn't want to have to crawl in a hole like Saddam Hussein did. However, as Rex Merrifield reports from London, Libya's officials are saying that it was more for economic reasons.

Contributions pick up (Sunday, 12/21/03)
Corporations and individuals have stepped up their donations to colleges, which many are taking as additional evidence of the economy's increasing strength. Here's more from Steve Giegerich in the Houston Chronicle.

More "points of light?" (Sunday, 12/21/03)
President Bush's father promoted volunteerism when he was in the White House with his "thousand points of light" idea. Now, the son is emulating the father by encouraging Americans go give their time and money to those who need them.

Government agencies pursue envelope scammers (Sunday, 12/21/03)
Those who are seduced by what appear to be opportunities to make money by stuffing envelopes at home are finding that the people making the offers mostly want you to simply stuff your money in an envelope and send it to them. Shawn Taylor of the Chicago Tribune reports that federal and state agencies are stepping up a crack down.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: Community College Web (Sunday, 12/21/03)
The Community College Web offers access to nearly 1250 community college web sites as well as nearly 200 resource sites.

Jobless benefits end (Saturday, 12/20/03)
Leigh Strope reports from Washington that labor unions are trying to persuade the President and Congress to extend federal unemployment benefits.

More free-trade talks (Saturday, 12/20/03)
Following its success in negotiating the Central American Free Trade Agreement, the Administration says it hopes to follow up by securing agreements with Australia, Morocco, Costa Rica, and the Dominican Republic soon.

Arab countries want to accelerate integration (Saturday, 12/20/03)
The six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council will open a summit in Kuwait City tomorrow with hopes of speeding up the economic integration of Arab states in the Gulf.

They've been trying to help, after all (Saturday, 12/20/03)
Wal-Mart executives say that they've been cooperating for three years with federal investigators interested in the possible use of illegal immigrant workers in the cleaning of Wal-Mart stores.

The U.S. dodgers (Saturday, 12/20/03)
They don't make up an athletic team. Instead, they're the Americans who use various means to evade taxes, and there appear to be about 400,000 of them.

Global Internet use is unevenly distributed (Saturday, 12/20/03)
The Internet reaches around the world, but most of the information on it is inaccessible to the majority of the world's people, according to a report from the International Telecommunication Union. Language and illiteracy limit use in non-English-speaking parts of the world.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: Changing the Beat (Saturday, 12/20/03)
Changing the Beat: A Study of the Worklife of Jazz Musicians finds that common stereotypes are not supported.

A win for Chancellor Schroeder (Friday, 12/19/03)
The German Chancellor managed to gain parliamentary approval for some of his reform plans, and he says there are more to come. Meanwhile, the Ifo economic research institute says that there are indications that Germany's economy will begin its recovery in 2004 after stumbling for three years. A economic growth rate of 1.8 percent next year is forecast.

Canadian makeover? (Friday, 12/19/03)
On the occasion of Paul Martin's ascension to the role of prime minister, an opinion piece in Business Week outlines what it will take to make Canada an economic leader.

Schwarzenegger's end-run (Friday, 12/19/03)
California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, in an exercise of power that seems to meet with Oakland Mayor Jerry Brown's approval, has declared a fiscal emergency in order to ensure that cities and counties won't come up short because of his cutting the unpopular car tax. Less than a week ago, the Governor reached agreement with the Democratic-controlled Legislation on a bond and spending limit package.

Another Governor's JOBZ plan (Friday, 12/19/03)
Minnesota no longer has a governor that necessarily can beat up your governor. The state's governorship was passed from a wrestler to a lawyer and husband of a judge some months ago. Governor Pawlenty recently returned from an overseas trip to make announcements related to his tax-free zones for rural job development. Dane Smith has more from the Minneapolis Star Tribune.

The popularity of buyouts (Friday, 12/19/03)
Many people who hadn't planned to retire are re-thinking their options now that emany mployers are making offers it's hard to refuse. Here's more from Albert Crenshaw of the Washington Post.

The Fed cuts jobs (Friday, 12/19/03)
Here's another example of the impact of technology on labor productivity. Develin Barrett writes from Washington about the elmination of as many as 300 jobs at Federal Reserve banks because of more reliance on electronic transactions.

Speaking of hi-tech, Everett Ehrlich examines the likely impact on American society of putting a national political machine on a laptop, possibly soon.

Too soon for bigger bonuses (Friday, 12/19/03)
Job growth is a lagging indicator during an economic recovery, and year-end bonuses seem to be as well. Adam Geller says that, despite an improving economy, bigger bonuses are likely to have to wait until next year or beyond.

Finding just the right executive isn't easy, even in today's market (Friday, 12/19/03)
Gwendolyn Freed writes that the availability of many candidates is causing companies to be extremely selective. Here's more about the search for the "perfect fit."

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: Economics Policy Institute (Friday, 12/19/03)
The Economics Policy Institute favors analysis of issues relating to the living standards of low- and middle-income workers.

Brace yourself for more good economic news (Thursday, 12/18/03)
The fact that there has been a major decline in manufacturing jobs in the U.S. doesn't mean that the United States is no longer a manufacturing country. Among other things, it simply means that American manufacturing is making more effective use of technology. Moreover, the two-year slump seems to be over. Manufacturing activity in the Mid-Atlantic region has reached its highest level in 23 years.

Also, the Labor Department reports that first-time jobless claims dropped significantly last week. Not only that, but the Conference Board's Index of Leading Economic Indicators rose 0.3 percent in November, suggesting that more vigorous economic activity lies ahead.

However, despite all the good news, Business Week suggests that it's too early to conclude that deflation is no longer a threat.

On the other hand, there are more hungry and homeless Americans (Thursday, 12/18/03)
The number of persons who are homeless and/or in need of emergency food assistance has increased in America's big cities. Moreover, many of them already have jobs but still can't make it, according to a new report from the U.S. Conference of Mayors.

Deal closed on Central American trade agreement (Thursday, 12/18/03)
The Bush administration has reached a free-trade agreement with Central America, and considers it a step toward its objective of making the entire hemisphere a free-trade zone. However, as Martin Crutsinger reports from Washington, labor unions are hoping to head off the treaty in the American Congress.

Office partying is on the mend (Thursday, 12/18/03)
With the economy looking stronger, more employers have reinstated the holiday office party. Here's more from Stephanie Armous of USA Today.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: Higher Education and Research Opportunities in the UK (Thursday, 12/18/03)
Higher Education and Research Opportunities in the UK is on the online version of the United Kingdom's university system Research Assessment Exercise which provides the public with information about various institutions' research activities.

No "giant sucking sound" (Wednesday, 12/17/03)
Kevin Hall writes from Monterrey, Mexico that Ross Perot's worst fears about NAFTA have not come to pass, although the trade agreement has been only a mixed success.

Arizona's unemployment system criticized (Wednesday, 12/17/03)
A think-tank named after the late Senator Barry Goldwater claims that millions of dollars are wasted because of fraud and that the state's jobless system needs fundamental reform.

The IRS begins to focus on executive pay (Wednesday, 12/17/03)
According to Business Week, the Internal Revenue Service seems to think that many CEOs are underpaying their taxes, given the nature of their pay packages. Uncle Sam's big tax collector wants to get what's owed to the government.

Outsourcing in higher ed (Wednesday, 12/17/03)
It is said that the venerable college lecture has its roots in a time before the re-invention of movable type in Europe. The Chinese invented it much earlier, but, given the nature of their written language, couldn't do much with it.

In the great Medieval European universities, books were precious things which had to be produced one by one by hand by highly skilled scribes. A book could cost as much as a farm, and even the great universities such as Oxford didn't have extras to spare. The most efficient way students could find out what a book said was to have a professor stand up at the front of the room and read it to them.

Then, came Gutenberg and his printing press, followed by inexpensive books in great profusion. But, having once started talking, the professors kept on talking, and they've been standing at the front of the classrooms and talking and talking ever since.

The Washington Post's Steven Pearlstein thinks it's time for some tech-driven economies of scale in higher education, before increasing costs deny access to all but America's most privileged. His article stimulated vigorous response in this online forum.

Less interesting than driving a bus? (Wednesday, 12/17/03)
Flying a big commercial airliner is something that most people can't do at all, but, for trained and experienced pilots, it's no big deal. Moreover, with all the hi-tech systems, the typical pilot's principal challenge may be to stay awake during the journey between Point A and Point B. Here's more from Don Phillips of the Washington Post.

Don't be blinded by the youth market (Wednesday, 12/17/03)
Advertisers tend to be preoccupied with young people, which helps explain why many TV programs seem to be designed to attract them. The idea is that young people buy a lot of things that older people already have. There are exceptions, of course. Most of the commercials in the nightly network news broadcasts seem to offer remedies for the nuisances of old age, and the aging "60 Minutes" audience probably isn't offended by the fact that several of the key people involved with the program are in their 80s. Also, most members of "Wheel of Fortune's" audience may well consider nearly-50-year-old Vanna and nearly-60-year-old Pat to be "young folks." Nonetheless, these are exceptions.

But, wait--older people tend to have more money than younger people, particularly now that the job market has caught the flu. Moreover, there are things that older people want and are willing to pay for that will not interest most younger persons. Fred Brock of the New York Times has some examples.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: Alliance for Life-Long Learning (Wednesday, 12/17/03)
The Alliance for Life-Long Learning, or AllLearn, is an online learning alliance made up of three of world's great universities: Oxford, Stanford, and Yale.

Big Blue to move thousands of American jobs overseas (Tuesday, 12/16/03)
As many as 4,730 IBM programming jobs will be moved to India, China, and other countries, according to the Wall Street Journal. Workers in Connecticut, North Carolina, New York, Texas, and Colorado will be affected.

CPI declines (Tuesday, 12/16/03)
The Consumer Price Index, usually watched for signs of inflation in the American economy, may be giving advance warning that the deflation that has afflicted other parts of the world recently may be slipping into the U.S., although not necessarily for the same reasons. The CPI slipped 0.2 percent in November, according the U.S. Department of Labor. Underlying inflation is at a 38-year low. However, the U.S. economy continues to build momentum, according to various indicators. Industrial production has been pushing solidly ahead, and housing starts continue to be strong. Also, the trade gap has gotten smaller.

Double-digit growth in the Pearl River Delta (Tuesday, 12/16/03)
Robert Marquand reports from Guangzhou that China's Pearl River Delta is becoming the world's factory.

More job cuts at Sears (Tuesday, 12/16/03)
As part of its restructuring program Sears has announced that it may conduct a third round of job cuts.

Texas Lt. Governor sets up workers' comp panel (Tuesday, 12/16/03)
Texas' workers' compensation system is popular with almost nobody, and a panel has been formed to see what can be done to make fundamental changes in order to provide better coverage at less cost.

How the self-employed can cut taxes (Tuesday, 12/16/03)
People who work for themselves can save on this year's taxes by setting up individual 401(k) accounts. But, better hurry. It has to be done by the last day of this month.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: Economic and Social Science Research Council (Tuesday, 12/16/03)
The United Kingdom's Economic and Social Science Research Council funds research and provides training relating to both economic and social concerns.

Saddam's contribution to the global economy (Monday, 12/15/03)
It's remarkable that simply pulling a rat out of rat hole can have such beneficial effects, particularly economic. Nonetheless, investors seem nearly overcome with optimism following Saddam Hussein's capture yesterday. Key stock markets throughout the world have rallied at the news. In the U.S., early indications were that stocks would have a very good day, in part, because greater holiday spending is anticipated.

Politically, the landscape may be changed by Saddam's capture too, both internationally and domestically. Italy's Premier Berlusconi remarked that the "weapon of mass destruction" had been found. The German Chancellor sent his congratulations to President Bush, and even Democratic front-runner Howard Dean, who opposed to the invasion of Iraq, said that the Administration deserves some credit. Nothing succeeds like success, as they say, and no politician wants to be identified with failure.

However, political winds can change direction in an instant, even though, at the moment, the President's re-election prospects seem considerably strengthened by Saddam's capture. It could all change again, of course, depending on how things go in Iraq over the months ahead. For a politician, the important thing is to be in position at the right time. If Saddam's capture amounts to a real turning point, Howard Dean's position on the war could be a major liability by election day. On the other hand, if conditions on the ground in Iraq continue to deteriorate, despite Saddam's removal from the picture, Dean's position could be considerably strengthened.

Al Gore, whom many consider to be the personification of political calculation, seemed to be positioning himself for a presidential run in 2008 by springing his surprise endorsement of Howard Dean only days ago. At the time, with many Americans beginning to think "quagmire," and with Hillary Clinton being fairly hawkish on the war, in addition to having voted for the Patriot Act, it probably seemed like time to separate himself from the Clinton legacy once and for all in order to position himself to compete with Hillary for the 2008 Democratic nomination. If Saddam had been captured a couple of weeks earlier, Gore might have chosen to act differently. If the Administration succeeds in Iraq from now on, Dean's chances for securing the nomination might be reduced, and Gore could find himself attached to a loser.

While Gore is supporting Dean, the Clintons have been pushing Wesley Clark, while being careful not to give the appearance of doing so. Does Gore really expect Dean to be elected president? Does he want him to? Probably not. Do the Clintons really expect Clark to be elected? Do they want him to? Probably not.

The former Vice President and Senator Clinton both want to be president, and it won't be helpful if they have to compete with a Democratic incumbent for the nomination in 2008. However, it won't be helpful if Bush wins by a landslide next year either, because that is likely to strengthen the Republicans' hold on both the House and the Senate, as well as governorships around the country.

Incidentally, it isn't altogether clear why Al Gore stuck his finger in the eye of Senator Joseph Lieberman by not giving him the courtesy of advance notice, considering that Lieberman held off on announcing his own candidacy until he knew whether Gore intended to run again.

Schroeder compromises (Monday, 12/15/03)
Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder has been trying to get his economic reform package through the German parliament without success. However, following ten hours of talks, a compromise agreement has been reached.

Ratification at Saturn (Monday, 12/15/03)
Members of the United Auto Workers in General Motors' Saturn division have approved their new four-year contract by a wide margin.

Small companies continue to hold off on hiring (Monday, 12/15/03)
Jim Hopkins of USA Today says that the reluctance of small businesses to hire new workers may extend the "jobless recovery" in the United States. Incidentally, finding part-time work is easier than finding full-time work. The temp firms seem to be doing quite well at the moment.

Who pays most of the tax, and who gets most of the breaks? (Monday, 12/15/03)
A new study concludes that tax breaks haven't been increasing the rate of savings as intended. Many Americans can't afford to set significant money aside, according to Cerulli Associates, and most tax breaks go to the wealthy. Republicans are likely to say that, because high-income people pay most of the tax, they should get the breaks, while most Democrats are likely to point out that "progressive taxation" based on ability to pay, is in jeopardy in the United States.

Meanwhile, Thomas Watterson explains why more and more Americans are allowing their 401(k) opportunities to slip away, and Susan Tompor tells how low-income people are being helped to learn how to save. On the other hand, if you're rich, and your problem is to find ways to STAY rich, here's some help with that too.

What is a non-sweatshop? (Monday, 12/15/03)
Linda Baker reports that many consumers would like to be assured that the products they buy have not been produced by people working under sweatshop conditions, but "sweatshop-free" isn't easy to define. Meanwhile, Owais Tohid reports from Hyderabad on the persistence of what many are saying amounts to slavery in Pakistan.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: Southern Rural Development Center (Monday, 12/15/03)
The Southern Rural Development Center is located on the campus of Mississippi State University and aims to reduce poverty in the rural South.

Signs of overheating (Sunday, 12/14/03)
China's economy could be experiencing too much of several good things, according to Keith Bradsher in Hong Kong, but its government doesn't seem to be too concerned.

More jobs in food service and what they may mean (Sunday, 12/14/03)
Restaurants have been expanding their staffs during the past several months. According to Sherri Day, this may mean that more general jobs creation is coming.

Myanmar's inflation rate slows (Sunday, 12/14/03)
According to official government figures, Myanmar's inflation rate during 2002 was 60.5 percent, but slipped to less than 6 percent during the first part of 2003. Many Westerners may still think of Myanmar as Burma.

What's worse off than pension funds? (Sunday, 12/14/03)
Many pension funds are underfunded, which is causing a good deal of anxiety. However, as Gretchen Morgenson reports, post-employment health plans are in even worse shape.

Report on Minnesota's nonprofit organizations (Sunday, 12/14/03)
The Minneapolis Star Tribune lists this year's nonprofit 100 and discusses how they've been doing

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: World Values Survey (Sunday, 12/14/03)
Here's an effort to take a snapshot of the contemporary world through a very wide-angle lens. The World Values Survey project began in 1981.

The constitution will have to wait (Saturday, 12/13/03)
The European Union's summit in Brussels was intended to approve a constitution, but talks broke down over voting issues in an enlarged EU.

Corporations await Congressional action on pension formula (Saturday, 12/13/03)
American companies would like to see Congress change the funding formula for pensions. If it doesn't happen early in 2004, corporations could be required to dump about $900 billion into their pension plans.

More and more teachers are unable to live where they work (Saturday, 12/13/03)
Many teachers who work in affluent neighborhood are being priced out of the housing market. Here's more from Lisa Leigh Connors.

Will increased pay help reduce the desertion rate? (Saturday, 12/13/03)
The American-led coalition in Iraq has been trying to build a new Iraqi army, and people have been joining up. However, about half of those who join then desert, and the major reason seems to be the low pay on which they cannot support their families. The coalition is reviewing pay scales to see what can be done.

A new twist on the importation of foreign workers (Saturday, 12/13/03)
Unskilled persons from poor countries have been flooding into prosperous countries such as the United Kingdom and the United States for years. Moreover, the U.S. has imported a great number of technically-skilled workers from India and other locations. However, Britain is now bringing foreigners in to fill top leaderships posts, according to Mark Rice-Oxley in London.

Pilots may help NWA cut costs (Saturday, 12/13/03)
Liz Fedor of the Minneapolis Star Tribune says that pilots at Northwest Airlines will decide over the next few months whether to accept a pay cut.

How do you feel if your boss "volunteers" you? (Saturday, 12/13/03)
If you're required to be a volunteer, isn't that some sort of oxymoron? The Wall Street Journal's Sue Shellenbarger reports that an increasing number of larger American companies are requiring their employees to volunteer their time to charities. Many are saying that, while they agree with the sentiment, there just isn't enough time to go around.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: Eurostat (Saturday, 12/13/03)
Eurostat is the Statistical Office of the European Communities with data covering, not only the European Union and its member countries, but also its partners.

Will the Dow stay above 10,000? (Friday, 12/12/03)
An unexpected drop of the University of Michigan's measure of consumer sentiment might make it harder. Here's more from Denise Duclaux in New York.

GM makes progress on pensions (Friday, 12/12/03)
General Motors seems to be reducing the largest deficit hampering any American corporation. According to Michael Ellis in Detroit, GM has nearly closed its pension gap.

Fed policymakers discuss jobs drought (Friday, 12/12/03)
Minutes from the Fed's October meeting were released yesterday, and indications are that officials don't necessarily expect a lot of job creation, even in a rapidly growing economy.

Hazards at the great digital divide (Friday, 12/12/03)
Increasingly, nearly everything is becoming connected to nearly everything else, and that's changing, well, everything. The United Nations doesn't want the developing world to be left out, and delegates to the World Summit on the Information Society meeting this week in Geneva seem to agree that it's a good idea to help the so-called "third world" leapfrog into the Internet age. However, all also seem to agree that there are obstacles and hazards waiting for those who rush on to the information highway.

Student identity problems (Friday, 12/12/03)
It's not new that many college students are trying to decide who they are, but, while they work that out, there are predators lurking who will be happy to take on their current identities, no matter how tentative. Federal education officials are cautioning students to beware of identity fraud.

Another look at history's greatest colossus (Friday, 12/12/03)
We've been hearing a lot about how the United States is the globe's only remaining superpower and stands astride the world like no other power in history, including the Roman Empire. Well, yes, but...

Certainly, no other country would be wise to challenge the U.S. in conventional military situations. America surely has awesome military might, meaning that it is capable of busting the hell out of an awfully lot of stuff, and is even capable of ending life on the planet, if it were so inclined. However, as we're seeing in Iraq at the moment, this doesn't necessarily mean that the U.S. can make things happen the way it wants. Also, there seems to be real concern about whether America currently has the military capacity for fighting two wars at once. Well, then, how about 15 or 20?

Despite all the power, it's important to remember that the United States contains slightly fewer than 5 percent of the world's people. Put another way, more than 95 percent of the world's human beings do NOT live in the U.S., and it will be in America's enlightened self-interest if most of those people don't hate us.

The Washington Post's Steven Pearlstein has been thinking about America's economic dominance as well, and thinks that self-congratulation may be premature.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: Web Sites for Tracking the U.S. Economy (Friday, 12/12/03)
Mark Rogers, author of The Handbook of Key Economic Indicators, maintains a portal called Web Sites for Tracking the U.S. Economy.

First-time jobless claims increase a bit (Thursday, 12/11/03)
Initial jobless claims increased somewhat last week, but the overall picture still seems to be improving. Here's more on the latest numbers from the U.S. Department of Labor.

Mortgage delinquencies decline (Thursday, 12/11/03)
The overall economic upturn seems to be helping more people make their mortgage payments on time, according to a report from the Mortgage Bankers Association.

Demonstrators march in support of the right to organize (Thursday, 12/11/03)
According to advocates, many corporations are violating the law by preventing workers from joining unions. Many are saying that more laws are needed. Here's more from Steven Greenhouse of the New York Times.

Relativity and the gender gap (Thursday, 12/11/03)
Forbes reports that a new survey conducted by the National Association for Female Executives shows that the gender gap in pay is greater in sales, the law, and print journalism than across the overall economy.

Meanwhile UNICEF reports that 65 million girls throughout the world aren't able to go to school--AT ALL. Their future, even their survival, will depend on some amelioration of that situation.

Employers don't like increased pension costs (Thursday, 12/11/03)
Japanese employers were reluctant to speak out before the Lower House election are now speaking freely about plans to increase their share of employee pension contributions. You can guess what they're saying, or, if you can't, here's more from Tokyo's Asahi Shimbun.

Why so many Americans are interested in California's grocery workers strike (Thursday, 12/11/03)
Daniel Wood reports from Los Angeles that 70,000 grocery workers in California are still off their jobs after more than eight weeks. Throughout the country, people are paying attention because they see the strike as representing another trend that threatens the American middle class.

Ever-increasing dependency (Thursday, 12/11/03)
Every society has had people in their teens, but "adolescence," as a stage of human development, is a relatively recent social creation. To a great extent, that period of early biological maturity during which a great many people are no longer children but can't yet function in society as adults either has been a product of the Industrial Revolution and its aftermath. Many people no longer were able to learn the skills they would need for adult economic roles by simply growing up on a farm or in a family of shopkeepers or trades people. Industrialization meant that more time would be required, in school or apprenticeships, to acquire the skills needed to work in jobs at some location different from the home.

However, as Marilyn Gardner of the Christian Science Monitor reports, the period of economic dependency has been elongated far more in recent years and for very different reasons.

AARP offers a defense (Thursday, 12/11/03)
AARP has been under fire from a lot of people, including many of its own members, because of its support for the new Medicare legislation. The big organization's head, William Novelli, has been answering critics, according to William Welch of USA Today.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: Medicare and Prescription Drugs (Thursday, 12/11/03)
AARP's web site offers an extensive page on Medicare and prescription drugs

Fed holds steady (Wednesday, 12/10/03)
Policy makers at the Federal Reserve Tuesday did what had been expected. They held interest rates at their present 45-year low and indicated that higher rates aren't likely to come soon.

Professors return to Iraq (Wednesday, 12/10/03)
Thousands of professors fled Saddam's regime in Iraq during the 1990s. Now, they're beginning to return. Here's more from Christina Asquith in Baghdad.

Controllers make a deal (Wednesday, 12/10/03)
The FAA and the air traffic controllers' union have agreed to extend the current contract for two years because of a reluctance to carry on negotiations during a presidential election year.

Foundations benefit from economic upturn (Wednesday, 12/10/03)
The strengthening U.S. economy hasn't been producing many jobs for Americans, but it has been resulting in increased corporate contributions to the nonprofit sector, according to Robert Franklin of the Minneapolis Star Tribune.

Paycheck shaving? (Wednesday, 12/10/03)
A lawsuit brought against Minnesota's Mayo Clinic alleges that the famed medical center's policy of rounding the paychecks has cost salaried workers $6.5 million per year since 1997.

Life in a Cambodian garment factory (Wednesday, 12/10/03)
Business Week's Frederik Balfour writes from Phnom Penh about people who work 60-hour weeks for $48 per month and would like to work more hours, but can't.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: The American Society for Quality (Wednesday, 12/10/03)
The American Society for Quality works to create better workplaces and communities throughout the world and also advises government on policy. The Society's headquarters is in Milwaukee.

Where are the jobs? (Tuesday, 12/9/03)
That's a rhetorical question. It's fairly clear why, despite multiple signs of resurgence overall, the American economy is not generating jobs in large numbers for Americans. It's part of the reason we call it a "new economy." The highest labor productivity levels in 20 years mean that fewer people are doing the increased amount of work, in part because of more effective use of more powerful technologies. Also, we were among the first to call attention to the exportation of high-value jobs to other regions of the world, so it's not quite accurate to say that the U.S. economy isn't creating new jobs. It's just that many of them are being created for other people.

Incidentally, high productivity is good, as far as it goes, because it raises a nation's overall standard of living--except for people who are essentially locked out of the system, and there may be an increasing number of those people over the years ahead. What we may see is a higher standard of living for those who are in a position to benefit from the increased productivity, but not for those formerly middle-class persons who are either chronically unemployed or "underemployed." The rich-poor gap has been increasing over much of the world, including the United States, during recent years.

Layoffs are still occurring in some sectors and regions. For example, SBC Communications has announced that it intends to cut as many as 4,000 jobs. Also, it's still taking longer for laid-off persons to find new full-time employment, and, as Sheryl Gay Stolberg reports, the new spending bill passed by the House doesn't include an extension of jobless benefits for the long-term unemployed.

The Fed is expected to hold steady (Tuesday, 12/9/03)
Policy-makers at the Federal Reserve are meeting today, and most experts expect that they will leave interest rates where they are for the time being, and that means at their lowest levels since Dwight Eisenhower lived in the White House.

Want more choices? Then, you're in luck (Tuesday, 12/9/03)
One of the major U.S. economic trends in recent years has been the increasing extent to which individuals are being left on their own to decide things that determine their fate. That's what many people say they want, but we might want to be careful what we wish for. It also means that individuals are more on their own to make their own way, whether or not they have access to sufficient resources. Some things are better left to individuals, while others may be accomplished more effectively by the community. If you don't think so, well, then, build your own damn highway.

At any rate, individuals are getting less protection or assistance from labor unions or from employers who expect to maintain a stable long-term workforce, and also less from the government. For example, Mark Sherman writes from Washington about the range of choices facing America's elders because of the new Medicare law.

The New York Times' Robert Pear examines the costs and benefits of the historic changes to Medicare and finds that they aren't easy to discern. Peter Grier of the Christian Science Monitor says that the President's signature isn't the end, but only the beginning. America has only begun to sort out policy for coping with the vastly increasing number of older people who are living much longer than during earlier years. Nearly everybody probably knows somebody who is in his/her 90s now. That wasn't the case only a few years ago.

The worldwide rate of population increase is slowing a bit (Tuesday, 12/9/03)
If the rate at which world population has been increasing during recent history were to continue indefinitely, people might have to fight for a place to stand. In order to avoid conditions that would give new meaning to the term "overcrowding," there will have to be either a dramatic increase in the mortality rate or a decrease in the birth rate or some combination. In some regions, the AIDS pandemic is contributing to the first of these, and, of course, nuclear wars or other applications of weapons of mass destruction could take care of things quite nicely.

However, most of us would prefer to achieve a leveling of population sometime fairly soon through a reduction in the birth rate. Fortunately, that's happening, not only in rich industrial societies, but also across some of the poorer regions of the world. The latest report from the United Nations forecasts a leveling off of world population at 9 billion by the year 2300. That's half-again as many people as presently walk the earth and nine times the total world population as late as about 1840.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: Medicare Personal Plan Finder (Tuesday, 12/9/03)
The Medicare Personal Plan Finder is intended to help you choose the health plan that's best for you. The information provided in the tool is effective beginning January 1, 2004.

Bush signs on the dotted line (Monday, 12/8/03)
The President has signed the new Medicare legislation into law, and, as Jodie Snyder reports, many people will begin to feel the effects soon. She suggests that you read the fine print in HMO plans, though.

The hard news about productivity increases (Monday, 12/8/03)
More work is getting done and fewer people are doing it. Gwendolyn Freed tells about the longer work days and busier work weeks of Americans who have survived layoffs.

More than meets the eye, or less (Monday, 12/8/03)
Employers in Chinese toy factories paint a pretty picture about working conditions, but it's one that many of the workers wouldn't recognize. Here's more from Joseph Kahn in Shenzhen.

Incidentally, while the movement of low-skill jobs from the U.S. to regions with cheaper labor is very old news, as we've been reporting during recent months, the exportation of high-value jobs is something new and bothersome to many Americans. Erika Kinetz writes about a recent roundtable in Manhattan in which the sending of American jobs overseas was discussed and how this trend is threatening the American middle-class.

Willing to take credit (Monday, 12/8/03)
The President would like voters to believe that his policies have been responsible for the spate of good economic news recently, and isn't bashful about claiming credit. Here's more from Jennifer Loven in Washington. Meanwhile, here's one writer who believes that Bush's decision to discontinue the steel tariffs will provide a net benefit to the American economy. Politically, the action is unlikely to earn the President votes next year from people in the U.S. steel industry, but others who feel that the tariffs have increased the price of the steel they must buy are likely to be happier. It could turn out to provide net political benefits too, to say nothing of avoiding a trade war.

Fed expected to hold steady (Monday, 12/8/03)
It doesn't appear that the conditions that the Federal Reserve's governors have identified as justifying a raise in interest rates have occurred yet. Economists expect the fed to leave rates at their lowest level in 45 years for a while longer.

A million Americans are selling residential real estate (Monday, 12/8/03)
Ralph Bivins reports that the housing boom has drawn a lot of people into realty who have been displaced from other lines of work.

If you're looking for another booming sector in the U.S. economy, check out for-profit education. Because of the fairly low barrier to entry on the Internet, much of American higher education is being privatized without need of any official policy declarations. Here's more from financial columnist James Glassman. He writes for the Washington Post and once was a familiar presence on television as well.

Mantra of the younger generation: "Debt is good" (Monday, 12/8/03)
The Washington Post's Margaret Webb Pressler tells how younger people's view of debt, including the use of credit cards, differs from that of some of their elders.

But, maybe not so much from the enormous boomer generation that will begin hitting 65-years-old in 2011. Albert Crenshaw tells how ill-prepared so many of them are for retirement. Americans born between 1946 and 1964 will come up short by at least $45 billion, just to cover basic living expenses during their late years. And, how about the sky-rocketing cost of health benefits? It's enough to make even the forever-young generation feel sick. Julie Appleby reports that people who are still working are paying more and more and more for their health coverage too.

Another economic use of the Internet (Monday, 12/8/03)
Perhaps inspired by eBay, registered nurses are bidding on shifts and pay over the Internet, according to Alicia Chang in Albany, New York.

No MBA, please (Monday, 12/8/03)
Women have moved into the senior professions in a big way during recent years. Gone is the day when men were the doctors and women were the nurses and nearly all attorneys were male. However, as Lindsay Hearne reports, women continue to be greatly under-represented in graduate schools of business.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: America on the Move (Monday, 12/8/03)
The Smithsonian Institution's America on the Move collection tells the story of the development of the U.S. interstate highway system and how it became a principal element of America's economic infrastructure.

More on that new Medicare bill trickles out (Sunday, 12/7/03)
Journalists continue to sift through the fine print all 1,300 or so pages of the new soon-to-become law Medicare bill, and, as we've said, it's ALL fine print. Members of Congress who voted for the legislation might want to pay close attention to press reports for a while now in order to see what they voted for.

At any rate, Robert Pear reports from Washington that the new law will prohibit your buying insurance to cover your share of the cost of prescription medications.

Ho, ho-hum, Merry Christmas (Sunday, 12/7/03)
So far, retailers report that holiday spending is only so-so, and November hiring slowed in relation to several previous months, despite a decline in the overall unemployment rate.

Is immigration good or bad? Yes (Sunday, 12/7/03)
Americans are highly ambivalent about the large number of people who have been entering the United States during recent years, according to Daniel Akst, and recent suits against Wal-Mart tell the story.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: Teaching K-12 Economics (Sunday, 12/7/03)
With too many Americans reaching adulthood knowing more about the dark side of the moon than about economics, there is general agreement that economic and financial principles should be part of basic education. The University of Nebraska at Omaha's Center for Economic Education is attempting to help those who want to help young people overcome their economic illiteracy by offering access to instructional resources on its Teaching K-12 Economics site.

The improving economy is helping the President politically (Saturday, 12/6/03)
A new poll shows that Americans are feeling more optimistic about the economy, which, in turn, is helping to convince some that they should vote for Mr. Bush's re-election. Here's more from Will Lester in Washington.

The American economy seems to be taking off, so why isn't Mr. Farrell happy? (Saturday, 12/6/03)
Anyone who has been writing for Business Week over the past few years probably knows about corporate CEOs who have made conditions, and particularly themselves, look great for a while, but who leave time bombs behind that go off after they've moved on. Christopher Farrell thinks that President Bush has been doing something similar. Another way of looking at it is that he has been mortgaging the future, according to the author, and, if this is true, who will pay off that mortgage? Guess who? Teach your children and grandchildren to roll up their sleeves.

Job skills for Brazil's poor (Saturday, 12/6/03)
The Brazilian government has set up 100 Internet cafes throughout the country where 250,000 of the country's poorest citizens are learning new job skills.

Chemical dependency on the job (Saturday, 12/6/03)
To put the problem in perspective, it's useful to think about this: More than three-quarters of America's illicit drug users are employed as well as more than 80 percent of adult binge drinkers, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Here's more from the Minneapolis Star Tribune. Also, Hazelden, Minnesota's world-famous treatment center, offers 12-steps that employers can take in order to deal effectively with chemically-dependent workers.

Think small, very, very small: Money for nanotech (Saturday, 12/6/03)
President Bush signed into law a bill this week that will provide $3.7 billion for research into the application of extremely small things in manufacturing, healthcare, and other sectors of the economy.

The rise of thumb-typing (Saturday, 12/6/03)
It appears that Australian executives prefer the use of their thumbs when inputting information on the latest tech devices.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: EthnoMed (Saturday, 12/6/03)
EthnoMed is a source of information for health care professionals who specialize in the healthcare problems of several immigrant or refugee populations. The site covers both medical and cultural information.

The tariffs are gone, but not the controversy (Friday, 12/5/03)
President Bush has lifted the tariffs he imposed on imported steel about 16 months ahead of schedule, saying that they've already done their job to save the U.S. steel industry, a conclusion with which many in the industry itself disagree.

During his most private moments, the President might not be entirely convinced that the American steel industry is in peachy shape either, but his actions will avoid an international trade war and the blowing away of the Administration's talk about the virtues of free trade. For instance, China is among the first nations doing business with the U.S. to express its approval.

While the steel industry in politically-important states such as Pennsylvania may be hurt by the lifting of the tariffs, other industries welcome them because it will reduce the price of the steel they must buy. Other regions may benefit economically for other reasons. One Op/Ed writer feels that the President's action will produce a net benefit to the American economy.

Unemployment declines again (Friday, 12/5/03)
The U.S. unemployment rate declined 0.1 percent from October to 5.9 percent in November. However, the American economy produced only 57,000 new jobs during the month. Anna Willard writes from Washington that this fell far short of what had been expected. About 150,000 new jobs are needed each month simply in order to absorb demand resulting from population increases.

Betting on death (Friday, 12/5/03)
Texas officials are considering a plan suggested by former U.S. Senator Phil Gramm that might rescue the state's teacher pension fund. Its success would depend on the deaths of enough retired teachers.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: Workforce USA (Friday, 12/5/03)
If you're a workforce development professional, you will want to examine Workforce USA for access to a rich collection of resources. The portal was developed in Cambridge, Massachusetts with support from the United States Department of Labor, as well as the Ford and Rockefeller foundations.

First-time jobless claims rise a bit (Thursday, 12/4/03)
Claims for unemployment benefits increased some during the Thanksgiving weekend, but the latest Labor Department report also finds continuing reason to believe that the job market is improving overall.

Many economists are expecting 2004 to be a good year, even though some acknowledge that they were too optimistic about 2003. Here's more from Jonathan Higuera in Phoenix.

Pilots offer to take pay cut (Thursday, 12/4/03)
Delta Air Lines' 8,500 pilots say they are willing to take a 9 percent pay cut in order to help the company get back on its competitive feet. However, that's much less than the company says it needs, so talks, which have resumed after falling apart during the summer, may be headed for more trouble.

Housing, not sheltering (Thursday, 12/4/03)
Amanda Paulson tells about Chicago's plan for combating homelessness.

Women advance on corporate boards, but... (Thursday, 12/4/03)
A new report from Catalyst says that the number of women on major corporate boards has increased a bit more than one percent compared to two years ago, but women still occupy fewer than 1/7 of board seats at Fortune 500 companies.

Nurturing the corporate conscience (Thursday, 12/4/03)
Recent developments have demonstrated the importance of a fundamentally ethical workplace, and law can only do so much, according to Kenneth Goodpaster, Dean Maines and Arnold Weimerskirch in the Minneapolis Star Tribune.

The future of Moore's Law (Thursday, 12/4/03)
Moore's Law is named after one of the founders of Intel Corporation who said that the number of transistors on a chip can be doubled about every two years. So far, since the first microprocessor chip was released by Intel in 1971, Moore's Law has held up pretty well, and the world has become a different place as a consequence.

But, how much longer? There is reason to believe that fundamental limits will be reached by the year 2021, according to a new paper published by Intel's engineers. However, it's highly unlikely that this will be the end of advances in computing or their economic consequences. For one thing, nanotechnology is gaining speed. There's still reason to believe that we are closer to the beginning of the hi-tech revolution than its end.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: Norway Forum on Trade in Educational Services (Thursday, 12/4/03)
The Internet has made geography largely irrelevant for many purposes. For instance, in addition to many other aspects of the economy, higher education services are also becoming "globalized." The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development recently held a forum in Norway on trade in educational services.

Productivity BOOMS (Wednesday, 12/3/03)
Labor productivity in the United States reached its highest level in 20 years during the third quarter at any annualized rate of 9.4 percent. Here's more from Tim Ahmann in Washington. This follows yesterday's news that manufacturing reached a 20-year-high in November.

During the third quarter, the Gross Domestic Product grew at an annual rate of 8.2 percent. This, combined with the huge increase in productivity, underscores the lingering jobs-creation problem. More economic activity is occurring and fewer workers are making it happen.

Incidentally, the huge services sector seems to be defying trends a bit. Its growth during November slowed a bit, but job creation has been picking up, again, a bit.

How to keep jobs in the U.S. (Wednesday, 12/3/03)
Just offer what people in India are willing to work for. As evidence of the "leveling" that's going on now, given the permeable boundaries from globalization, David Gumpert reports that some U.S. salaries are being forced down because of the availability of cheap labor overseas. Want to place any bets on how the world will look--including America's relative position in it--by the end of the 21st century? Lets make a date to convene right here at BNWW on December 3, 2103 to compare notes.

What the U.S. economy will need from now on (Wednesday, 12/3/03)
Each day has been bringing more good economic news lately, but will it continue? Louis Uchitelle says that the American economy needs for consumers to keep on consuming. It appears that the Bush tax cuts have provided some stimulus, he says, but it's not likely to last. Consumer spending accounts for approximately two-thirds of the U.S. economy.

Will you be ready when the hiring picks up? (Wednesday, 12/3/03)
Many companies that have been holding off in order to see if the apparent strength of the American economy is real and persistent finally are indicating that they plan to add new personnel during the months ahead. It's probably time to spruce up your resume, but remember that its not supposed to be a work of fiction.

Fewer single mothers below the poverty line (Wednesday, 12/3/03)
Single mothers in poverty declined by a third between 1993 and 2001, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Our ability to subvert any system intended to help us may be limitless (Wednesday, 12/3/03)
A new survey finds that 401(k) participation has dropped for the second year in a row. More Americans are trashing their own 401(k)s when they change jobs. Growing old is still something that happens only to other people, apparently.

Is there a pirate flag flying over your cubicle? (Wednesday, 12/3/03)
Are you illegally downloading music from the Internet at work? Many people are, it seems, and it can cause significant legal exposure for employers. Here's more from the Christian Science Monitor.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: Vault (Wednesday, 12/3/03)
Vault is one of a great many online jobs sites but offers much additional career information as well.

DuPont to cut jobs (Tuesday, 12/2/03)
The big chemical company needs to slice costs by $900 million over the next two years, say their executives. The cutting of jobs will be part of the effort. Overall, though, job cuts declined dramatically across the American economy during November. Moreover, people are still quitting jobs too. A new survey by Sibson Consulting finds that, even in a still-uninspired job climate, many people don't regard the status quo as good enough.

Foreign workers released in Nigeria (Tuesday, 12/2/03)
Six oil workers had been held hostage by militants. The British embassy has announced that they were released on Sunday.

On the Texas longhorns of a dilemma (Tuesday, 12/2/03)
President Bush is faced with one of those choices in which none of the available options is greatly attractive. The New York Times' Elizabeth Becker and David Sanger tell about the political bind he's in over the steel tariffs. He can choose between the wrath of voting steel workers in an election year or possibly the beginnings of an international trade war.

Court gives employers get only a bit of what they wanted (Tuesday, 12/2/03)
Gina Holland reports from Washington that, following the latest Supreme Court ruling, employers will have more discretion in refusing to re-hire some former employees with addictions. However, the Court sidestepped the broader question of whether workers with substance abuse problems are protected under the Americans With Disabilities Act.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court has decided to take the case of a woman who worked for a state police organization in order to clarify employer liability for sexual harassment on the job.

Corporeate Santas slim down (Tuesday, 12/2/03)
Despite increasing signs that the U.S. economy is beginning to cook pretty well now, but it will need some time to catch up to where it might have been if it hadn't slumped for so long. Stephanie Armour reports that a new survey finds that almost two-thirds of U.S. companies won't offer holiday bonuses this year. Still, millions of Americans this holiday season would be happy if the only concern they had was not getting a bonus. Michael Laskoff of Business Week tells about the people who would be happy to find a hiring notice in their Christmas stockings.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: JobBank USA (Tuesday, 12/2/03)
JobBank USA is one of the original, larger, and best-known jobs site on the Internet. It helps job seekers, employers, and recruiters find one another, and also offers a variety of additional services and resources to interested persons. Coincidentally, JobBank USA started at about the same time as BNWW in 1995, so both are among the Internet's "pioneers."

White House to repeal tariffs (Monday, 12/1/03)
In an apparent effort to avoid a trade war, the Administration apparently has decided to repeal the tariffs on imported steel which it imposed twenty months ago. Many Americans who depend on the troubled U.S. steel industry won't like it, and that means that there are likely to be political implications for the President during Election Year 2004.

Diplomats walk out (Monday, 12/1/03)
French diplomats throughout the world are conducting a one-day strike to protest budget cuts which they say prevent them from conducting a proper foreign policy.

Good news for manufacturing (Monday, 12/1/03)
October for a good month for the manufacturing sector in the United Kingdom, given its strongest growth in nearly four years. Ashley Seager has more from London.

Holiday sales are becoming slightly less important (Monday, 12/1/03)
According to Economy.com's chief economist, holiday spending makes up a somewhat smaller share of total retail spending for the year now, which is probably a good thing, he says. Here's more from Mike Meyers of the Minneapolis Star Tribune.

Less metal to the kettle (Monday, 12/1/03)
California's grocery workers' strike is hurting the Salvation Army's holiday fund-raising campaign. People who don't want to cross picket lines aren't getting as far as the kettles in front of the stores.

Progressive taxation may be on its way out (Monday, 12/1/03)
For many years, the American income tax system has been "progressive," meaning that tax rates have varied according to one's ability to pay. However, something resembling Steve Forbes' "flat tax" ideas may be catching on, even though they didn't help him win election when he was running for the presidency. Will it mean an ever widening gap between rich and poor?

Incidentally, if the rich are going to get richer, they may become even more concerned about the nature of the financial advice that they're obtaining. A new survey finds that many wealthy people are avoiding traditional brokers and advisors and, instead, are searching for what they regard as more independent consultation.

Golden years without the gold (Monday, 12/1/03)
Scott Burns has been talking with an author who points out that the fastest-growing demographic group entering bankruptcy is made up of people 65 and older.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: International Trade Administration (Monday, 12/1/03)
If you want to export your products to other countries, the International Trade Administration from the United States Department of Commerce can tell you about tariffs and other things you will need to know.

Here are NewWork News stories from previous months

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